Tag: aggies basketball

Texas A&M HC Buzz Williams hopes a tough non-conference schedule pays dividends

The Aggies’ tough non-conference schedule will keep them in the front of the selection committee at the end of the season

After ten games, we have a baseline for the 2024 Texas A&M basketball team. They are an aggressive team on offense and defense looking to score around the rim and rack up fouls in their favor. When they can’t get to the rim, they settle for jump shots where they are currently shooting below 40% for the season.

So far, the formula is working, with the Aggies holding an 8-2 record after beating Texas Tech on the road. Coach Buzz Williams has made comments in the past about the selection committee, but over the last few seasons, instead of complaining, he has scheduled tough non-conference games.

“When it all unfolds, I feel really good about how many Quad I and Quad II games we’ll have on our resume. Playing five neutral sites in two and a half weeks might be going overboard, but I hope that math will work for us.”

That math is working early, and the Aggies a riding a four-game winning streak with a Quad 1 win, two Quad 2 wins, and a Quad 3 win that might bump to a Quad 2 win later in the year. But we know it’s a long season, and the hope is that the teams played early in the year get better, bumping them up to Quad 1/2 games when it’s all said and done.

Texas A&M will travel to Indiana to face No. 6 Purdue on Saturday, Dec. 14, for an early 11:00 a.m. CT tip-off. The game will air on CBS.

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Did Texas A&M basketball make a move in the AP Top 25 Poll after Week 5?

A 2-0 week gives the Texas A&M basketball team a small jump in the AP poll

Texas A&M is playing a tough non-conference and keeps coming out on top with an 8-2 record riding a 4-game winning streak.

After placing fifth in the Players Era Festival Tournament and picking up two more Quad 1/2 wins they picked up two more quality wins. They defeated Wake Forest 57-54 for a Quad 3/4 win and ground out a victory against Texas Tech for a Quad 1 win. The Aggies are only going to get better and if they push their shooting percentage over 42%, the sky is the limit for this team.

Kansas fell out of the No. 1 spot with a loss to Missouri and squeaked by Gonzaga, landing in the No. 10. Clemson made the biggest jump going up 29 spots from unranked to No. 16. The Aggies’ 2-0 week also gave them a bounce moving up six spots to No. 18 in the rankings.

Below is the most recent AP Top 25 Poll after Week 5:

  1. Tennessee 8-0
  2. Auburn 8-1
  3. Iowa State 7-1
  4. Duke 7-2
  5. Kentucky 8-1
  6. Marquette 9-1
  7. Alabama 7-2
  8. Gonzaga 7-2
  9. Florida 9-0
  10. Kansas 7-2
  11. Purdue 8-2
  12. Oregon 9-1
  13. Oklahoma 9-0
  14. Michigan 8-1
  15. Houston 5-3
  16. Clemson 9-1
  17. Texas A&M 8-2
  18. UConn 7-1
  19. Ole Miss 8-1
  20. Wisconsin 8-2
  21. Michigan State 8-2
  22. Cincinnati 7-1
  23. San Diego State 6-2
  24. UCLA 8-1
  25. Mississippi State 8-1
Others receiving votes:

Baylor 150, Arizona St 143, Memphis 123, Missouri 119, Penn St. 90, Arkansas 89, Drake 67, Pittsburgh 62, Utah St. 57, Illinois 47, St. John’s 43, Maryland 39, Dayton 38, Creighton 32, Indiana 30, West Virginia 30, North Carolina 24, Georgia 21, Saint Mary’s 20, Texas 8, Rhode Island 3, Loyola Chicago 1.

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Here are the best photos from Texas A&M’s 57-44 win over Wake Forest

View some best photos from Texas A&M’s 55-44 win over Wake Forest

Texas A&M’s defense was on full display in the second half of the game against Wake Forest. It was so dominant that even the announcers blamed the turnovers that A&M committed in the first half for Wake Forest’s inability to find an offensive footing.

While the Aggies once again shot below 40%, they held the Deacon Demons to 18 points in the second half, leaving them scrambling on offense. The A&M big men have stepped up the past few games as guards Zhuric Phelps and Manny Obaseki have struggled to score. Henry Coleman III is off to his best start since his freshman year with 11.1 points and 6.4 rebounds through the first nine games

All of the pieces are there for A&M, and the proof is that they can have objectively bad shooting while still winning games against quality teams. The Wake Forest win can be a good Quad 1 win in the future when the selection committee starts flexing its power.

Below are some of the best photos from the game.

 

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Everything Coach Buzz Williams had to say after 57-44 win over Wake Forest

Here’s everything head coach Buzz Williams had to say ahead of Texas A&M basketball’s home win over Wake Forest

Texas A&M gets another quality win over a game Wake Forest team. After a first half marred with turnovers, the Aggies cleaned up their game and found a way to come out victorious at Reed Arena.

The hallmark of the Aggie team is their defense and intensity throughout the game. Although their scoring has seen better days, even while shooting around 40%, they are winning quality games. On top of playing lights-out defense, they are grabbing many rebounds and getting to the free-throw line. Their experience and aggressiveness have played a major role in Tuesday’s win

“We had to have a lot of endurance just to hang around. We only fouled them six percent of the time. That’s the lowest number we’ve ever had. We were getting stops without fouling.”

Below, you can watch the entire post-game conference.

Texas A&M will go on the road to Fort Worth, TX to face Texas Tech at Dickies Arena at 2:00 pm CST on Dec. 8. The game can be watched on ESPN2.

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Instant reaction to Texas A&M basketball’s 57-44 win over Wake Forest

Texas A&M pulls away late to move to 7-2 on the season after beating Wake Forest at Reed Arena

Texas A&M (7-2) came on strong in the second half to beat Wake Forest (7-3) in the SEC/ACC Challenge at Reed Arena.

The best way to describe this game is “out of sync.” Neither team performed well in the first half, with the Aggies committing an unacceptable 14 turnovers. Wake Forest struggled to execute their offensive plays, resulting in a shooting percentage of less than 30%. Fortunately for Texas A&M, their strong defense allowed them to take a narrow 29-26 lead into the locker room.

A&M intensified its defense in the second half, limiting Wake Forest to just 18 points. While the Aggies didn’t significantly improve their shooting, Andersson Garcia and Henry Coleman played crucial roles in gradually expanding their lead as the half progressed. Garcia recorded 16 rebounds and contributed five points, while Coleman added 10 points to the team’s efforts.

At this point, we know who this Aggie team is until they show us something different. It’s a team that will sub 40% shooting team that plays relentless defense, and grabs every offensive rebound in sight. Coach Buzz Williams can’t shoot the ball for his guys but before it gets too late, they need to find a way to capitalize on playmakers on the team.

Texas A&M will go on the road to Fort Worth, TX to face Texas Tech at Dickies Arena at 2:00 pm CST on Dec. 8. The game can be watched on ESPN2.

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Did Texas A&M basketball make a move in the AP Top 25 Poll after Week 4?

Texas A&M maintains a top 25 ranking after going 2-1 in the Players Era Festival Tournament

Texas A&M basketball (6-2) earned a few quality wins while participating in the inaugural Players Era Festival Tournament in Las Vegas. They finished fifth in a stacked tournament with several top-25 teams.

Coach Buzz Williams has a solid team that will win several games this season but if they want to make it past the second round of the NCAA tournament, they must shoot the ball better. Against Quad1/2 teams they are struggling to above 40% from the field and 30% from three, but it’s still early and Buzz is still working out his best rotation when points are needed.

There was a lot of movement in the poll this week behind No. 1 Kansas with Oregon making the biggest jump from unranked to No. 12 after winning the Players Era Festival. Memphis also made a big jump back into the rankings to No. 16 and the Aggies despite going 2-1 during the tournament dropped two spots to No. 22

Below is the most recent AP Top 25 Poll after Week 4:

  1. Kansas 7-0
  2. Auburn 7-0
  3. Tennessee 7-0
  4. Kentucky 7-0
  5. Marquette 8-0
  6. Iowa State 5-1
  7. Gonzaga 7-1
  8. Purdue 7-1
  9. Duke 5-2
  10. Alabama 6-2
  11. Wisconsin 8-0
  12. Oregon 8-0
  13. Florida 8-0
  14. Cincinnati 6-0
  15. Baylor 5-2
  16. Memphis 6-1
  17. Houston 4-3
  18. Pittsburg 7-1
  19. Illinois 6-1
  20. North Carolina 4-3
  21. Oklahoma 7-0
  22. Texas A&M 6-2
  23. Ole Miss 6-1
  24. San Diego State 4-2
  25. UConn 5-3
Others receiving votes:

Michigan St. 108, Arkansas 104, Texas 97, Michigan 95, Arizona St 89, Indiana 72, Drake 58, Xavier 33, Utah St. 28, Louisville 27, West Virginia 26, Clemson 25, BYU 24, Dayton 24, Texas Tech 22, Nebraska 22, Mississippi St. 20, Ohio St. 19, Maryland 13, UCLA 13, Creighton 12, Saint Mary’s 11, Georgia 10, St. John’s 7, Loyola Chicago 4, Florida St. 3, DePaul 3, UC Irvine 2, Columbia 2.

Texas A&M will return to Bryan-College Station at 8:00 pm CST on Dec. 3 to face Wake Forest at Reed Arena. The game can be watched on ESPN2.

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Where did Texas A&M basketball land in the US LBM Coaches poll after Week 4?

Where did Texas A&M basketball land in the US LBM Coaches poll after Week 4?

Texas A&M participated in the inaugural Players Era Festival Tournament in Las Vegas. They finished fifth after going 2-1 during the weeklong event.

The Aggies had a week full of inconsistent offense that saw them shoot over 40% in just one of the three games during the tournament. It was so bad to the point in game three that it was brought up as one reason A&M gets so many second-chance points. They have some things to work on but if they can shoot a little bit better 90 points a game is not out of the question in the future.

However, coach Buzz Williams’ squad earned two wins over Creighton and Rutgers that could end up becoming Quad 1 wins.

There was a lot of movement in the poll this week behind No. 1 Kansas with Oregon making the biggest jump from unranked to No. 10 after winning the Players Era Festival. Memphis also made a big jump back into the rankings to No. 15 and the Aggies despite going 2-1 during the tournament dropped four spots to No. 24

Below is the most recent US LBM Coaches Top 25 Poll after Week 4:

Rank Team Record Points
1 Kansas 7-0 760 (19)
2 Auburn 7-0 755 (12)
3 Tennessee 7-0 694
4 Marquette 8-0 646
5 Iowa State 5-1 629
6 Kentucky 7-0 628
7 Purdue 7-1 535
8 Gonzaga 7-1 517
9 Duke 5-2 472
10 Oregon 8-0 457
11 Wisconsin 8-0 450
12 Alabama 6-2 441
13 Florida 8-0 427
14 Cincinnati 6-0 376
15 Memphis 6-1 265
16 Baylor 5-2 262
17 Illinois 6-1 234
18 Houston 4-3 221
19 Pittsburgh 7-1 213
20 Ole Miss 6-1 139
21 Oklahoma 7-0 111
22 North Carolina 4-3 96
23 Michigan 6-1 90
24 Texas A&M 6-2 86
25 Michigan State 6-2 73

Schools Dropped Out

No. 2 UConn; No. 15 Indiana; No. 19 Creighton; No. 21 Arkansas; No. 22 Xavier; No. 23 Arizona;

Others Receiving Votes

UConn 63; San Diego State 56; Texas 54; Mississippi State 39; Arizona State 39; Drake 34; Texas Tech 32; Arkansas 28; UCLA 17; Xavier 16; BYU 16; Ohio State 15; Utah State 13; Saint Mary’s 12; Dayton 10; St. John’s 8; Nebraska 8; Indiana 8; Creighton 8; West Virginia 5; Maryland 5; Clemson 5; Georgia 3; Arizona 2; UC Irvine 1; Nevada 1;

Texas A&M will return to Bryan-College Station at 8:00 pm CST on Dec. 3 to face Wake Forest at Reed Arena. The game can be watched on ESPN2.

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Here are the best photos from Texas A&M’s 81-77 win over Rutgers

View some best photos from Texas A&M’s 81-77 win over Rutgers

The No. 20 Texas A&M Aggies will leave Las Vegas with a fifth-place finish, beating the Rutgers Scarlet Knights on the final day of the Players Era Festival Tournament.

Overall, the tournament’s results were mixed, with A&M going 2-2 in some very competitive games. If you ask Coach Buzz Williams, I’m sure he is not all pleased, but they showed a lot of good things over the three days he can work with going forward.

He does have one issue that I wonder if he can fix. The Aggies are one of the worst shooting teams in the country and only shot above 40% in one of the four games during the tournament. Buzz runs an offense that does give his guys freedom, but they have to start hitting their easy shots around the basket.

Below are some of the best photos from the game.

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Here are the best photos from Texas A&M’s 77-73 comeback win over Creighton

View some of the best photos from Texas A&M’s 77-73 comeback win over Creighton

The one thing that can’t be denied is that a Buzz Williams basketball team will play with grit and determination. Unlike Tuesday’s opening matchup against Oregon, No. 20 Texas A&M overcame another poor shooting performance to beat the No. 21 Creighton Bluejays at the Players Era Festival Tournament.

It was a welcome sight to see senior forward Henry Coleman III drop 17 points in his first starting role this season. Coleman and Wade Taylor IV combined for 35 points, and the team pulled in 21 offensive rebounds, leading to 23 second-chance points. In the postgame press conference, Taylor talked about the team’s resilience in tough situations.

Coach always talked to us all year about being grimy because we’re at our best when we’re grimy. It’s a tug-of-war match. So for us to come out there and compete as hard as we did because Creighton is an amazing team, shout-out to them, just shows how much we believe in each other and how much we want to make sure when it get tight that we continue to make sure we pull it out.

Below are some of the best photos from the game.

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Texas A&M Basketball vs Creighton: Channel, time, streaming info

Watch Texas A&M vs Creighton game today. Here’s how to watch, time, TV schedule, live streaming info, and game odds.

Tuesday night, No. 20 Texas A&M Aggies (4-2) will open up the Players Era Festival Tournament against the No. 21 Creighton Bluejays (4-2) at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, NV.

Both teams opened the tournament with a loss against an unranked team. The Aggies fell 80-70 to Oregon (6-0), and Creighton lost to San Diego St. (3-1). With them near the bottom of the top 25 rankings, another loss will more than likely see one of them on the outside looking in. The Bluejays suffered from the same issues in the first game. They shot horribly from the field and turned over the ball more.

The difference is the Texas A&M game against Oregon was much closer than the 10-point loss would indicate. A string of missed shots and forced fouls allowed the Ducks to extend their lead to a victory comfortably.

Below you can find all the information on how to follow the game.

What channel is Texas A&M vs Creighton game on today? Time, TV schedule

TV Channel: MAX

Start time: 5:30 p.m. CST

Texas A&M vs. Creighton will be broadcast and streamed on MAX in Week 4 of the 2024-25 NCAA basketball season. J.B. Long (play-by-play), Candance Parker (color), and Lauren Jbara (reporter) will call the game at MGM Grand Arena.

Texas A&M vs Creighton predictions, picks, odds

Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Wednesday, 11/27

This is another toss up Texas A&M is a slightly better team, but if they both shoot like they did in their first game it’s anyone’s guess on who will win. However, against tougher competition Creighton is scoring under 65 points and A&M is averaging over 70 points. I believe the Aggies have a big bounce back game beating the Bluejays by double digits.

Prediction: Texas A&M 75 – Creighton 60

Odds: Texas A&M by 3.5

O/U: 143.5

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